VOTE411 Voter Guide

I have been a trial judge for 19 years. I was elected five times and nominated for leadership positions by four chief judges. District Court judges handle the types of cases reviewed by the Court of Appeals, including criminal, juvenile, family, domestic violence, and housing matters. I have issued thousands of opinions and seen firsthand how our laws affect our communities.

Prior to becoming a judge, I co-owned a law firm with Senator Lisa Grafstein. For over a decade, we defended the rule of law and the constitutional liberties of our neighbors. Our clients were employees, small family businesses, and persons charged with crimes.

I worked as an instructor at Wake Technical Community College and Meredith College's Paralegal Program.

North Carolina is in the minority in embracing partisan judicial races, and this process does not serve the courts or the public. The perception that judges rule along partisan lines weakens the system as a whole. In a state that elects its judges, however, the public must be informed. Judges must be free to explain their values, life experiences, and opinions about how to improve the legal system. My values are more aligned with the Democratic party.

If a legal issue before me has a strong partisan divide, my approach will be the same as every other case: I will apply the law consistently and impartially without regard to public pressure or criticism. My integrity and the public’s trust in the judiciary will always remain paramount.

The greatest barrier to justice for many is the socio-economic disparity they face. Attorneys are no longer affordable, and people face practical hurdles, such as employment obligations or lack of reliable childcare, that keep them from having their day in court. Even when a person is entitled to court-appointed counsel, the funding is inadequate, leaving ‘legal deserts’ in rural parts of the state.

Judges have an obligation to ensure equal access to justice. I have worked tirelessly to expand access and level the playing field for self-represented persons by helping to start the Legal Support Center, training pro bono attorneys, and designing and using virtual courtrooms which provide parties with greater flexibility.

Attacks on the judiciary are unprecedented. We must stand together to protect this vital institution by electing judges willing to safeguard the individual liberties our Constitution guarantees, like the right to free speech, the right to a free and public education, and the right to vote.

We deserve a more diverse court that reflects the people we serve. There are eight candidates running for the Court of Appeals in 2026, and I am the only woman among them. If I win, I will be the only Democratic woman left on the fifteen-member court. This is not a court that people will trust and not one that reflects the diversity of our state.

Women bring unique life and professional experiences to the court, enriching judicial deliberations and contributing valuable perspectives to the analysis of complex legal issues. I hope to restore balance and confidence in the system, and I offer voters a candidate with the experience, courage, work ethic, and humility to do the job effectively.

In this moment of national crisis, we need judges with experience protecting our rights. That is my experience. I am part of a small group of NC lawyers defending our rights on the front lines in high-stakes cases. Last year, I stopped an attempt to discard 60,000 votes and defended Justice Allison Riggs's win. I have fought gerrymandering, stood up for our public schools, and halted legislative overreach. Trial judge experience is valuable, but what we need most is experience in our Court of Appeals defending our rights. I am the only candidate in this race with the appellate experience necessary to meet this moment.

Now more than ever, our judiciary’s most solemn duty is to protect our rights, regardless of politics. That's what I have done as an attorney. When extreme candidates tried to discard lawful votes, I defended all voters equally, not just those that supported Justice Riggs.

Judicial races should be nonpartisan, but they are not, and voters deserve to know the difference between Democratic and Republican judges. Democratic judges have upheld our rights, held that extreme partisan gerrymandering is illegal, and unlocked desperately needed public school resources. Republican judges have blocked that funding and sought to discard thousands of legal votes. Democratic judicial candidates must be willing to draw this clear contrast.

The greatest obstacles to justice in NC are our current Court of Appeals and Supreme Court majorities. Our current majorities have allowed politicians to entrench power through gerrymandering, blocked hundreds of millions of dollars from going to our public schools, and sought to discard thousands of legal votes. These cases affect all of us and have downstream consequences that will impact our state’s government for decades.

The only way to overcome these obstacles is to support a new generation of judicial candidates who will be clear with voters about the stakes of these races. With the right experience, the right message, and the right leadership, we will win in 2026 and build momentum to win our courts in 2028.

A better future is possible! A new generation of judges can secure our rights and stop abuses of power. As an attorney, I have seen the threats we face up close and am clear-eyed about what we need to do to overcome them. My primary opponent believes judicial candidates should not talk about these issues, but that approach has led Democrats to lose every Court of Appeals campaign since 2018. We need new new leadership to meet this moment.

Leaders who know this best agree. Five former Supreme Court Justices and dozens of leaders have endorsed my campaign, including Chief Justice Henry Frye, Chief Justice Burley Mitchell, Justice Bob Orr, Justice Patricia-Timmons Goodson, Cong. G.K. Butterfield, Cong. Eva Clayton, and civil rights organizations across NC that have been fighting for equal justice under law since Jim Crow. These leaders know what this moment requires and agree that I'm the best candidate for the future of our courts.

I hope to earn your support too.